A Bunch of Songs

Delivers laughs without sacrificing quality

     

With its ongoing themes of bears, Prefontaine, and facial hair, one might at first see A Bunch of Songs as a collection of throwaway joke-songs. And indeed, many of the songs were written to incite laughter. But, in the vein of They Might Be Giants, Arrowsmith's songs are bouncy, well-crafted, and clever in their hilarity. Songs like "Surgeon," "Respect the Bear," "Sports Fright," and "Haffa Stache" clearly foreshadow the solid songsmith Arrowsmith was to become on later albums such as The Albatross Project. "Rap How I Wanna Rap," "Yeti or Steve," and "Alien Jump Rope Party" entertain endlessly. And yes, there are fillers—see "Fitness Test," "Sub Shop"—but they're still insanely amusing, and they only add to the 31-song majesty that is A Bunch of Songs.